Mobile speed camera, or something else?

bestpud

I passed a camera placed on a tripod at the side of the road and a van was sitting in a lay by just past it.

It was a smaller van (not transit size) and had no speed camera markings that I could see.

There were two guys sat in the front, wearing fluorescent jackets and I think they had some electronic equipment on the dash but I may be wrong about that.

The van was facing away from the camera so the men were not watching traffic themselves unless they had a screen in the front of the car (I think they did) and it wasn't situated to take photos from the back of it in my opinion. It wasn't really big enough for anyone to sit in the back of it either in my opinion.

Was it a speed camera? I've never seen anything like it before.

This was Herefordshire and they usually have transit sized vans with a camera in the back window, and they are noticeable as a speed camera van.

DigForVictory

If it spooked you, odds on it was a speed trap, watching for happy shoppers, the great untaxed & anyone driving in a manner designed to rate points...

(Me? Cynical? A Christmas present I'm trying.)

bestpud

DigForVictory wrote: »

If it spooked you, odds on it was a speed trap, watching for happy shoppers, the great untaxed & anyone driving in a manner designed to rate points...

I wondered if it was checking for road tax as it didn't resemble any speed camera I've seen before.

It was around 4pm the Friday before Christmas so designed to catch people on their way home for the Christmas break I guess - nice!!

Buzby

It will be an ANPR check. Hope your MoT and VED were paid up?

bestpud

Buzby wrote: »

It will be an ANPR check. Hope your MoT and VED were paid up?

Yes they are.

Buzby

You'll hear nothing, but your location and time will be stored for up to 6 months in case you might be connected to 'criminal activity' of some sort. The mobile vans supplement roadside and ove-bridge capture devices.

adonis

The ones with tripod are speed cameras, the ANPR ones are just a van with a camera in the back window normally accompanied with a fast pursuit car or motorbike.

DigForVictory

Best ANPR spot I saw was in the decelerating traffic to Old Trafford.

Big match on, plenty of police management in place & all filtered past the camera.
Smile please!

DUTR

adonis wrote: »

The ones with tripod are speed cameras, the ANPR ones are just a van with a camera in the back window normally accompanied with a fast pursuit car or motorbike.

Strange, I 've seen APNR readers on a tripod at the entrance to the supermarket, car slightly in fornt with the operator on a laptop, then loads of police inside the car park to reward the offenders.

oldagetraveller

bestpud wrote: »

I wondered if it was checking for road tax as it didn't resemble any speed camera I've seen before.

It was around 4pm the Friday before Christmas so designed to catch people on their way home for the Christmas break I guess - nice!!

So because it was the "Friday before Christmas" this exempted people from not having v.e.d., m.o.t. etc.?:)

bestpud

oldagetraveller wrote: »

So because it was the "Friday before Christmas" this exempted people from not having v.e.d., m.o.t. etc.?:)

No, of course not, but if it was a speed camera then they obviously did it knowing it would be a lucrative period.

Whether or not you agree will depend on your opinion of speed cameras and the data used to defend their existence.

My opinion is pretty low, hence my comment.